Bob Dylan - My Rough and Rowdy Ways /2020) Anticipation and Discussion Thread

xpost to Heez: "I hope that the gods go easy with me" is the line from "I've Made Up My Mind" that has that effect on me.

I'm trying not to read too much into this that isn't specifically stated, but I think there are a few factors leading to this showing up so high on so many lists - a) it is legitimately good and his best record since Modern Times, maybe even Love and Theft; b) it's a relief to hear him move out of the Sinatra classic songbook mode again; c) he's been steadily building up goodwill for his whole career with the excellent Bootleg Series and stuff like the Rolling Thunder doc, so there's just a general appreciation in the air; d) a little bit of it is surely the realization that we don't just know how many more new albums we're gonna get from Dylan at this point - given the surprise loss of Bowie, Prince and Petty, I seem to see a move towards appreciating artists and handing out some laurels while they are still around to receive them.

Again, all of this is speculation on my part and is in no way meant to diminish a legitimately great record that will be very high on my personal list too, I'm just surprised to see even Pitchfork placing it so highly. I mean, Rolling Stone, Uncut and Mojo aren't a surprise at this point, but seeing it on so many younger oriented outlets' lists too is a bit of a shock.

all those reasons otm and I'd add that the mood of the album (incl some of those lines quoted above) has more than a taste of that wistful end-of-career capstone feel, esp when compared to his recent American songbook output. Obviously all of the above lists predate yesterday's news that he sold the rights to his catalogue, but that + turning 80 this coming year + COVID putting a stop to the Neverending Tour makes me wonder if he's gonna move towards more of a retirement phase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN0l73uDeEA

I wouldn't read too much into the publishing right sale; lots of big artists are doing that lately.

(also, the deal reportedly excluded any future songs he writes, which probably suggests he plans on writing some... otherwise why not throw that in too, for an extra mil)

(granted, I've had a few beers, and my analysis may be colored by my desire to see Dylan record & perform for 20 more years)

"Murder Most Foul" is still the greatest track of 2020 for me

this is a pretty wonderful album to sink into right now.

and spotify kind of comes into its own when you think “hmm i’d like to hear some more bob dylan”. well, here’s the complete basement tapes. here’s every studio album. fuck.

listening now to “i forgot to remember to forget”

B-b-b-ut what about "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know"?

This album is simultaneously super fun and so 2020. I was driving home from the store and was struck by:

play "Jagged Little Pill", play Alanis
Play for the big-mouthed girl named Janice

i could listen to 'murder most foul' for almost ever

there are so many places it could go/have gone/might have gone/even if not but still

otm

^^

i want to suggest adding "Key West" to the pantheon. those are always temporary and fleeting, always changing in and out. but key west will be there frequently

I still like 'Goodbye Jimmy Reed' more than almost anything else on the LP!

goodbye jimmy reed RULES

It's a good driving album. At least the car is where I've listened to it the most. Being able to focus on Murder Most Foul while highway driving is nice.

When he sings 'the healing virtues of the wind' in Key West and his his voice minutely cracks. Damn.

I mentioned the song the other day to someone, and for the first time the other person immediately knew what it was. Before I said anything about the song, they said “key west is fine and fair”, and we both said “if you’ve lost your mind, you will find it there”, and then I said “key west is on the horizon line”. We just left it at that, which made me feel really good.

Because obviously, ok I guess we both know this song then

i want to suggest adding "Key West" to the pantheon. those are always temporary and fleeting, always changing in and out. but key west will be there frequently

― Karl Malone,

Truman had his White house there!

Drunken Truman: “I don't love nobody, give me a kiss / Down on the bottom, way down in Key West”

Harry and Bess liked his Old-Fashioneds.

Anyone see this month’s shows? Especially good to see he’s doing “Key West” and “I Contain Multitudes,” as well as “False Prophet” and “Goodbye Jimmy Reed.”

I saw him two nights ago at the Beacon. He did everything off R&RW except “Crossing The Rubicon” and “Murder Most Foul.” He played an upright piano, staying behind it for most of the show. Sometimes he’d pick up a mic and sneak toward center stage, then move back to the piano. A friend told me he’s apparently frustrated with being able to remember lyrics, so it seems likely they’re all on the piano (at one point between songs it looked like he was flipping through a binder). His band was incredible, inhabiting his songs like few others I’d heard. His drummer on this tour is Charley Drayton (bassist/occasional drummer with Keith Richards, bassist on Neil’s SNL appearance), and he was so perfect. When Bob introduced the musicians at the end of the show, he said, “Boy, Charley’s really something on the drums, isn’t he?” The quieter new songs, especially “Mother Of Muses,” were so beautiful, and I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such an intense degree of collective concentration at a show — everyone was hanging on every syllable.

Wow. Sounds amazing.

This is a good review, and largely tracks with what I experienced (“They’d come from far away” — I traveled from 3 hours north of NYC, and ran into a friend from Massachusetts).

https://www.hotpress.com/music/a-triumphant-bob-dylan-comes-home-to-new-york-city-22881777

Only part I’d take issue with is “most masked throughout the show.” I’d say maybe 1/3rd of the audience was masked. You had to show proof of vax to get in, but it was still frustrating to see so many unmasked. I mean, jeez, at least mask up because Bob is 80 and you don’t want him to catch a cold.

Thanks for the review; sounds great. I would have liked to caught one of the shows as it's been 10 years since I saw him last.

From Jon Wurster's guest commentary on Knoxville, in recent issue of Flagggin' Down The Double E's BD show download enewsletter (you can subscribe for free and get a couple of these a month, pay and get more)
Links and other stuff in original worth checking:
...Now let’s get to the show. I don’t want to give too many spoilers for those who want a pure experience, so I’ll be relatively brief. The lone drawback of having such good seats was that we didn’t get to see the “floor of lights.” The stage design for this tour is pretty interesting (to say nothing of its cost-effectiveness): None of the hanging lights that are the norm for most concerts, and the band is essentially playing inside a black-curtained cube. You really feel like you’re watching six guys rocking out on their own planet.

As I said a few months ago right here, I watch Bob’s band as much as, if not more than, the man himself. They were an extremely well-oiled machine by the time I saw those three shows in late-2019, so there wasn’t the palpable feeling of excited uncertainty that was coming off the stage in Knoxville. Dylan seems to thrive on chaos, and Knoxville had several great chaotic moments, particularly during a somewhat extended “Most Likely You Go Your Way.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off Tony Garnier as he studied Bob’s hands to see where they might next land on the piano keyboard. Charley, who really impressed me later in the show with subtle brush work and understated-yet-driving, Kenny Buttrey-style drumming, broke into surprised smiles several times during “Most Likely” as he reacted to where Bob was taking the song. And that’s what’s so great about seeing a Dylan show: even though the setlist might be the same several nights in a row, every song is performed with subtle differences that keep it fresh for everyone involved.

For me, the night’s two big highlights were a chugging, almost “Neighborhood Bully”-esque “Gotta Serve Somebody” featuring great, gritty guitar interplay from Bob Britt and Doug Lancio, and a downright gorgeous “Key West.”

And Bob? I think this was the most I’ve seen him smile during a recent(ish) show. He was clearly having a good time, especially when he made his way out from behind the piano to sing at one of the centerstage mics. Sure, the piano playing was a little wonky at times, but in a way, Dylan is a jazzer. Maybe that Miles Davis (Monk?) quote about there not being any wrong notes is true! His voice was exceptional, especially on “My Own Version of You” and “I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You.” There were so many moments during the show where I found myself thinking, “How can this guy be this good at eighty?”

But he is eighty. Dylan was less mobile than I expected, and the encore section of the tour’s earlier shows seems to be a thing of the past, my guess is because he only wants to have to walk on and off that stage once a night. I only mention this in hopes that it might spur anyone on the fence to go see him while you can. There truly is no performer like him. https://dylanlive.substack.com/p/wednesday-night-in-knoxville-by-jon?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0

Thanks for sharing these... going to keep my eyes open for West Coast dates.

Waiting for my flight. Overheard a guy say, "Key West was nice." I said, "Oh, were you at the Bob Dylan show last night?" He looked at me with such complete confusion, all I could think to do was say, "Well, I was." That did not unconfuse the situation

— HarryHew (@harryhew) November 21, 2021

Lol

hahaha

It me.

Just came back from the closing Beacon show. Great show, the new stuff was marvelous, and as mentioned upthread, Dylan had the lyric sheets out on the piano. I think he really wanted to get the new material across because I can't remember the last time he's enunciated this well - like, virtually every word was clear and discernible. "Key West" was the high point, "Gotta Serve Somebody" and "Every Grain of Sand" were the highlights of the older material, and once again, Dylan was cracking jokes at the audience. Not just at the end like last time, someone yelled out "rock and roll!" at one point and Dylan actually responded, the first time I've ever seen him interact with the audience (which he obviously did ages ago, but that was a different time). Paraphrasing, but he joked "you're at the wrong show, you must be looking for Springsteen on Broadway!"

BTW, they really weren't fucking around with the no-cameras and no-phones policy - four people (three men, one woman) within the back orchestra alone (behind the mixing desk) were thrown out for using their phones, all in separate incidents. Also, as mentioned upthread, at best 1/3 of the audience was masked.

someone yelled out "rock and roll!"

the tape of the show makes it sound like they yelled out "pretty boy floyd" just prior to his springsteen on broadway comment.

this all sounds very much like the show i saw in mankato, mn right before covid, wonder if it was one of the last shows actually? but yeah, he's singing better and seems more committed than he has in years

the tape of the show makes it sound like they yelled out "pretty boy floyd" just prior to his springsteen on broadway comment.

Awesome, recording's already out there! I couldn't hear honestly, the shouting was too distant from us, but another fan we ran into afterwards thought it was "Born to Run" and my gf believed it was "rock n' roll" - she might have misheard as I don't think she knows "Pretty Boy Floyd" (the song or the infamous bank robber) and wouldn't interpret what she heard in that way.

Also, just sunk in that he didn't play "Like a Rolling Stone," "Highway 61 Revisited" OR "Tangled Up in Blue." He typically plays at least one or two of those (and I want to say most of the NET recordings I have has him doing all three). "Highway 61 Revisited" is almost always a concert highlight throughout his career, but the show was so good, I can't say they were missed.

"Tombstone Blues"! That's what I'd call for.

I'd be relieved if I didn't have to hear those songs again.

"Tombstone Blues" though? Anytime.

A few songs have changed during the tour, but the Beacon shows all had the same exact setlist (see below)...not sure if he's going to stick with this from here on out, but as I mentioned in another thread, a big reason I think his last few tours (pre-pandemic) were a major improvement is that he kept the same exact setlist for that particular year. The band always knew what song was next, so they were able to attack each number with great precision and complete confidence. With Dylan clearly using lyric sheets this time around (probably because it's heavy on new material, and the songs on the new album are typically long), the same principal applies - he knows exactly what to sing next and he can focus more on phrasing than trying to remember.

1. Watching The River Flow
2. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I'll Go Mine)
3. I Contain Multitudes
4. False Prophet
5. When I Paint My Masterpiece
6. Black Rider
7. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
8. My Own Version of You
9. Early Roman Kings
10. To Be Alone With You
11. Key West (Philosopher Pirate)
12. Gotta Serve Somebody
13. I've Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You
14. Melancholy Mood
15. Mother of Muses
16. Goodbye Jimmy Reed
-- Band introductions
17. Every Grain of Sand

I never get tired of "Tangled Up in Blue" and especially "Highway 61 Revisited" - he does them differently all the time and in the case of the latter, he has a much higher success ratio with changing the arrangement than any other song. Great at Isle of Wight in 1969, with the Band in 1974, at Evanston in 2000, etc., etc...."Like a Rolling Stone " is typically the same though. It was the highlight of his shows from 1966 to 1974, but with the NET it's rarely been more than a nice sing-a-long (at least at the NET shows I've heard).

i've probably said this here before but i got to see dylan at tramp's in NYC in about 1998 or so, one of the best concerts i've seen in my life, elvis costello came up for a duet of "i shall be released" as an encore, dylan played lead guitar several times, like actually shredding downstage, it was unreal. anyway i was standing near the sound guy and i saw the setlist in front of him, printed out on a piece of paper, and they probably did.. a quarter of the songs that were written down? at most? but absolutely nailed everything anyway.

wow okay somebody recorded it. that's crazy. i just found it! it was actually 1999. i forgot how rowdy the crowd was. speaking of rough and rowdy. it was a secret show and basically i think everybody just couldn't fucking believe they were there. here's a few songs from it. dylan goes absolutely off on visions of johanna. pleading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzYlz2kXCFc

there's a mediafire link there that still works. it's really it. just incredible. particularly intense for me me listening to this now more than 20 years later because the guy who phoned me up out of the blue the day-of to ask "if i wanted to go see bob dylan at tramp's" is dead now, hit in a head-on collision out of the blue with his new wife, just driving down the road.

sorry i didn't mean he collided with his wife! they were both in the car and he was killed instantly. i had lost touch with him over the years. he was such a generous, kind, creative person. a brilliant set designer and actor. i had just gotten a haircut the day of the gig, i don't know why i remember that. i felt great. really put together. me and jeremiah showed up early. talked for a long time before the show started.

you never know what you're going to get. my parents saw dylan and willie nelson play in knoxville, maybe a dozen years ago, at bill meyer stadium downtown. apparently willie was great but dylan was practically incomprehensible, barely singing, seemingly adrift in his mind.

wow, the mediafire link is wild. if anybody misses it, let me know. very comprehensive notes.

"15 new songs (78%) compared to previous concert." lol

Yeah, that's one of the great NET shows, for both quality of the show and the fact that it's available as a top-grade board recording. I'm guessing the mediafire link is the same boot I got some years ago? IIRC EC wrote about it too in his memoir.

Thanks for the Tramps 1999 memories, Tracer. I really wanted to see that show and just couldn't do it - I took the bar a day or two before and couldn't swing it. That Visions is something special.